1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stove switch safety cover for use in connection with the controls for stove top burners. The stove switch safety cover has particular utility in connection with locking the control knobs of the stove in an OFF position, thereby denying access to the knobs to any individual not possessing the key to unlock the cover.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many accidents that occur in the home involve the stove. Typically, a curious child will play with the stove's control knobs, resulting in an unattended burner, a fire, or injury. If the device is a gas stove, this can lead to severe health and fire risks. The occupants of the house could be overcome by the gas fumes, eventually dying if not discovered in time. Furthermore, the gas in the air is combustible and can be easily ignited by a spark if not detected. A further threat of fire is also present in both gas and electric stoves. Should a pan of food be left on the burner or an item left within close proximity to the burner, the unattended burner could eventually set the food or the item on fire. An additional danger with the stove is that of the child pulling the pan of food from the hot burner and spilling it on himself, resulting in severe burns, especially if water or hot fat is present in the pan. Therefore, a device which could lock the stove into an inoperable position and deny access to individuals not possessing the key to the lock would prevent the aforementioned misfortunes from happening.
The use of stove locking devices is known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,834,335 to Antonio Rondello discloses a gas stove safety device that consists of a rod that passes through a hole in each control knob and has a keyed lock on one end to prevent the knobs from being turned. However, the Rondello '335 patent is limited in use to stoves having knobs with holes in the lower section through which the rod may be passed. Control knobs for today's stoves rarely contain such holes and lack a shape that would lend itself to such a modification. Furthermore, the rod of the Rondello '335 device could entice a child to swing on it, which could result in the bending or breaking of the rod and possible damage to the control knobs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,181 to Halvor Saga discloses a safety device for stoves that comprises a front plate, for covering the control knobs, which may be raised in tracks and side plates which together comprise a partially peripheral obstacle for mounting the object on the front edge of a rectangular stove top. However, the Saga '181 patent makes no provision for a locking mechanism for the safety device, leaving the control knobs susceptible to an especially clever child or to a mentally challenged adult. Furthermore, the Saga '181 device could not be used with a stove top having the control panels on a flat horizontal surface as there would be no method for attaching the side plates of the device.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,413,237 to William R. Jones discloses a safety control valve which is connected in the gas supply in advance of the manifold through which gas is supplied to the stove and oven burners and which can be locked in a closed position, effectively cutting off the gas supply to the burners. However, the Jones '237 device is not effective for electric stoves and ovens; therefore it would not be applicable to a large number of stoves in use today. Moreover, the Jones '237 device is not visible to an individual visually inspecting the stove and might lead to confusion as to why the stove is not operating properly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,386 to Fred Miguel discloses a stove switch cover comprising a lock adapted to be mounted on the control panel of a stove and having a rotatable latch extending behind the control panel, with an elongated housing receiving the control knobs in its open rear portion. However, use of the Miguel '386 device requires the stove owner to modify the control panel of the stove to receive hardware for supporting both the hinge and the locking mechanism. Individuals renting homes or apartments might not be able to make such modifications to the stove. Additionally, the Miguel '386 knob cover opens upward and would probably fall closed again and need to be reopened each time the user wanted to readjust the heat on one of the burners. Should the Miguel '386 device remain upright after being opened, it would interfere with an individual's ability to cook on the stove top.
Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 346, 529 to Maglena Honaker discloses the ornamental design for a stove panel guard that would be used as a splashguard for stoves having a vertical control panel located at the rear of the top surface. However, the Honaker '529 patent makes no provision for locking the splashguard to prohibit access to the control knobs. Furthermore, the Honaker '529 device would not be suitable for stoves with control knobs on the top front surface since it is not attached in any manner to the control panel.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,878 to Luke E. Lewis and Christopher E.
Lewis discloses a safety knob for a stove or range that has a releasable lock assembly which prevents a switch or valve of the range from being turned to the ON position. The lock assembly has a pin movable between a lock position and a release position with a linear to rotational movement mechanism mounted in a housing joined to the body of the knob. However, the Lewis, et al. '178 patent requires the use of specific knobs that might not be compatible with all stoves. Additionally, the Lewis, et al. '178 device can easily be unlocked with the push of a button. A curious or observant child watching his caregiver could easily ascertain how the knobs were unlocked and perform the task for himself.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a stove switch safety cover that allows the owner to deny access to the stove's control knob by locking them in an OFF position. Saga '181 and Honaker '529 patents make no provision for a locking mechanism for the safety device, leaving the control knobs susceptible to an especially clever child or to a mentally challenged adult. In addition, the Lewis, et al. '178 device can easily be unlocked with the push of a button. A curious or observant child watching his caregiver could easily ascertain how the knobs were unlocked and perform the task for himself. The Rondello '335, Saga '181, Jones '237, Honaker '529, and Lewis, et al. '178 devices are limited in use because they are not compatible with all types of stoves. The Rondello '335 requires the control knobs to have holes through which the locking rod is inserted. Control knobs for today's stoves rarely contain such holes and lack a shape that would lend itself to such a modification. Furthermore, the rod of the Rondello '335 device could entice a child to swing on it, which could result in the bending or breaking of the rod and possible damage to the control knobs. The Saga '181 device could not be used with a stove top having the control panels on a flat horizontal surface as there would be no method for attaching the side plates of the device, while the Jones '237 device is not compatible for use with electric stoves. Moreover, the Jones '237 device is not visible to an individual visually inspecting the stove and might lead to confusion as to why the stove is not operating properly. Use of the Miguel '386 device requires the stove owner to modify the control panel of the stove to receive hardware for supporting both the hinge and the locking mechanism. Individuals renting homes or apartments might not be able to make such modifications to the stove. The Honaker '529 device would not be suitable for stoves with control knobs on the top front surface since it is not attached in any manner to the control panel, and the Lewis, et al. '178 device requires the use of specific knobs that might not be compatible with all stoves. Finally, the knob cover opens upward on the Miguel '386 device and would probably fall closed again, requiring the user to reopen the cover each time the heat on one of the burners needs adjusting. Should the Miguel '386 device remain upright after being opened, it would interfere with an individual's ability to cook on the stove top
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved stove switch safety cover that can be used for prohibiting access to the control knobs of any type of stove. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. In this respect, the stove switch safety cover according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing a locking safety cover for the control knobs for a stove that denies access to any individual not possessing the appropriate key.